Kate Attends Royal Ascot Despite Being Allergic to One Thing — and It Proves She'll Be a Great Queen
Kate Middleton hasn't let her allergy stop her from doing her royal duties and that was evident from her triumphant Royal Ascot comeback.
Ever since entering the monarchy in 2011, Kate Middleton has consistently shown just how perfectly she fits within the royal family, despite coming from a non-aristocratic background. Over the years, she has become the pillar of the institution, emerging as one of the most beloved royals. However, there is one thing that Middleton and the rest of the family can’t seem to be on the same page with: horses.
The royal family’s love for four-legged creatures is not hidden from anyone. In fact, if there were two entities that the royals never had a controversial relationship with, they would be dogs and horses. Almost everyone in the family, including Queen Elizabeth, is a skilled horse rider. Princess Anne and Zara Tindall have participated in the Olympics, with the latter even winning a silver medal. Prince William and Prince Harry have often played polo matches. Simply put, the royals love horses, but the Princess of Wales is sadly allergic to them.
This was revealed during a polo match in 2009, when Australian author Kathy Lette asked Middleton why she wasn’t playing. “I'm allergic to horses,” the latter had replied as per HELLO!. The allergy became increasingly evident when the royal was spotted sneezing during the Trooping the Colour parades, which obviously involve many horses. However, the future queen of England has never let her allergies get in the way of her royal duty, which was clear from her recent Royal Ascot appearance. The Princess of Wales made a triumphant return to the racecourse after three years of hiatus, and looked stunning in a bright yellow midi dress and elaborate hat.
In 2011, Clarisa Ru, the wife of Santa Barbara Polo Club president Wesley Ru, revealed that the then-Duchess of Cambridge was trying to overcome her allergy through exposure. A practice also known as immunotherapy. “I got a chance to have a conversation with Kate," she said, "I asked if she was into polo before she met William. She said no. But she's been riding horses for a while and she hopes to play polo one day. She said, 'I'm actually allergic to them, but the more time one spends with them the less allergic you become.”
Being a part of the royal orbit, Middleton has to spend a lot of time around horses, whether it be during parades or polo matches. But she manages to do that with utmost elegance and poise, two terms that have commonly been associated with her public image. Over the years, she was also spotted gently stroking horses and introducing her children to the magnificent animals.
Although the Princess of Wales may be uncomfortable around horses, she sure has aced the other side of the royal heart - dogs. She is a proud dog parent, along with William. The couple has two beautiful Cocker Spaniels, Orla and Otto.
